Felton, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Felton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Felton and Santa Cruz County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Santa Cruz County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Santa Cruz County compares with California
Santa Cruz County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Santa Cruz County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Santa Cruz County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 17.0 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 49% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 8% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.34 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 23% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.5% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 2.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.2% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 78% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.9% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.3% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.3% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.1% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 41% below the state |
Compared with California, Santa Cruz County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Santa Cruz County: 1 in 22 garbage-truck share of crashes is 4.5%, against 1.6% for California.
Overview
Santa Cruz County has recorded 513 truck crashes since 2015, with 175 people injured and 16 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 8 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Felton since 2015; patterns below come from Santa Cruz County as a whole.
When crashes happen
September has the most truck crashes, 10.1% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (6.8%).
November through March accounts for 39.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.2% in California.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 8.4% of truck crashes.
0.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.9% across California.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Felton is SR-1, with 2 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come CR-E Cliff Dr (1), Encinal St (1) and Larkspur St (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 22 of the truck crashes here, or 4.3%, compared with 1.6% in California.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in April (18%).
They recorded 4.5 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Felton fleets
- Review driver schedules for September, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to SR-1 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in April; review collection routes for that month.
- Morning starts matter: 28.9% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than California.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Santa Cruz County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-1 | 2 |
| CR-E Cliff Dr | 1 |
| Encinal St | 1 |
| Larkspur St | 1 |
| River St | 1 |
| SR-17 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Santa Cruz County) |
|---|---|
| Sr-1 S/B | 8 |
| Sr-1 N/B | 4 |
| Sr-17 S/B | 3 |
| SR-129 | 3 |
| Rt129/1.3M W Old Chittenden Rd | 3 |
| Freedom Blvd | 3 |
| Alba Rd/.13Mi W Of Rt19 | 2 |
| Main St/Green Valley Rd | 2 |
Felton at a glance
| Land area | 4.6 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 95041) | $96,898 |
| Median home value (ZIP 95041) | $996,666 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Santa Cruz County since the 1990s
Combines the FMCSA crash file (all reported truck crashes, real coverage from about 1990) with NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes involving a large truck, 1982–2024).
| Decade | Truck crashes / yr | Change | Fatal crashes / yr (FARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | — | — | 1.1 |
| 2000s | 41 | — | 1.7 |
| 2010s | 43 | +4% | 1.3 |
| 2020s | 42 | -1% | 1.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 41 a year in the 2000s and 42 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.2 a year in 2016–19 and 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Felton
How many truck crashes happen in Felton?
513 truck crashes have been reported in Santa Cruz County since 2015, with 16 deaths and 175 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Felton?
Since 2015, SR-1 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Felton: 2.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Felton?
Truck crashes in Santa Cruz County peak in September, with 10.1% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Felton?
Garbage trucks were involved in 22 reported crashes in Santa Cruz County since 2015 (4.3% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Felton compared with California?
Santa Cruz County records 17.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 33.2 across California.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Felton?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.